novelraw Chapter 33 : Chapter 33
Chapter 33 : Chapter 33
Chapter 33: Eye of Deception (1)
“Confirmed multiple survivors in the Mystery Hall. We will proceed with rescue and recovery operations immediately.”
The radio buzzed briefly, and the recovery team entered the Mystery Hall.
The interior of the Mystery Hall was a gruesome scene, as if it were a slaughterhouse.
Debris of flesh that flowed down from the ceiling had ridden the walls and settled down.
The floor was stained with mucus and blood, forming wide puddles.
Occasionally, the stench spreading from crumbling rotten flesh dug deep into the nose.
“Ugh…….”
A member with a weak stomach gagged and turned his head away.
Even amidst that, the interior became busy.
The shouts of the rescue team, sounds of equipment, and groans of survivors began to tangle dizzily and echo.
“Aah- it hurts, it hurts!”
“S, sorry!”
When a rookie-looking member applied a bit too much force, a fallen citizen groaned.
Inside the exhibition hall, there were still about thirty citizens lying down.
Everyone complained of headaches and dizziness, and some only repeated, “I had a terrible dream.”
Pushing through that gap, a tall man slowly walked inside.
Dressed in a sweat-soaked dress shirt.
With a suit jacket draped over his arm, he scanned the situation over his horn-rimmed glasses and moved his steps toward the recovery members.
“How is the situation?”
“Team Leader Kim! You’re here. The citizens seem safe for now. However, I think you should see that over there personally…….”
“Hm? Did something happen?”
The place the recovery team member guided him to was the inner corner of the Mystery Hall's main hall.
There, someone's long sword lay sprawled.
And it was filled with rotten flesh and thickly pooled blood.
“Traces of battle?”
At the nasty stench, Team Leader Kim wrinkled his nose.
“Must have been a guy who fought really dirty.”
Appreciation was brief, Team Leader Kim carefully stepped into the center of the scene.
Squishing sounds and sensations were transmitted from his shoes.
The long sword sprawled in the center. And next to it was an object presumed to be someone's head.
Though it was rotting black and the shape couldn't be properly recognized.
“The decomposition state is severe. The traces of magic power are unusual too.”
Team Leader Kim took out a scanner from his pocket and started investigating the surroundings.
“Tsk, an unregistered individual as expected.”
He clicked his tongue and examined the analysis results.
People with magic power basically register their magic power patterns and receive government management. Like fingerprints.
At least people living within the legal framework usually do so.
In that background, being ‘unregistered’ meant nine out of ten times they were figures outside the law.
Those so-called ‘villains’.
“Looking at the flesh around here too, the terror in the Mystery Hall is probably this person's doing. The detected magic power pattern is consistent.”
“This person is the terrorist……. Then the owner of this sword might be the one who stopped them. Seeing flesh stuck on the sword, it's clear a battle took place.”
“I suspect so, though it will become certain after further investigation. What is it, what's wrong?”
“No, well-.”
The member scratched his head and pointed to the opposite corner.
There, two members gathered and were performing first aid on someone.
“The one fallen next to that sword was that boy. To think a young boy stopped a terror of this magnitude, I thought it was amazing.”
“Oh? Let's have a look.”
With interest in his eyes, Team Leader Kim moved his steps.
Thinking that if reporters knew the hero who saved the Mystery Hall was a boy, it would make quite an interesting article.
“Team Leader! You’re here!”
The long-haired member securing a defibrillator to the boy's chest welcomed Team Leader Kim.
“How is his condition?”
“He passed the critical stage. It seems someone already cast healing magic on him? His wounds and physical condition are severe, but fortunately, he is recovering.”
“Healing magic? But I don't see anyone who could use healing inside here.”
“Indeed. Was there such a person among the evacuated personnel?”
“Or this child might have used healing magic himself. Well, we’ll know when he wakes up.”
Team Leader Kim examined the boy's face.
And at that moment.
“Uh?”
A short exclamation flowed out.
Because it was a familiar face.
“Ryu Jinwoo?”
“Uh, is he someone you know?”
“Rather than knowing……. No well, that’s right. A child I know.”
Team Leader Kim tilted his head for a moment and started tracing his memory.
The Sudden Gate incident that occurred at Imae Station subway platform.
The civilian who blocked the gate with Baekseok, and the boy Baekseok personally mentioned as ‘a child to remember’.
‘He wasn't ordinary from then, but to already perform like this?’
The boy's appearance was wretched.
Blood-covered body, cracked lips and skin, minutely trembling fingertips.
Even at a glance, it was felt he had a harsh time.
Team Leader Kim looked down at the boy silently for a moment.
‘With the single thought of saving citizens as a young boy.’
Pure spirit of sacrifice.
Just for that, he overexerted himself to the point of becoming this wretched state.
As an adult, a feeling of slight shame raised its head.
It was then.
“U…… Uuu…….”
A faint groan was heard.
The boy's lips started trembling.
“He seems to be regaining consciousness!”
The long-haired female member shouted with joy.
Everyone held their breath quietly and waited for the boy's words.
Finally, words flowed out of the boy's mouth.
“Don't lick……. Stop…… stop licking……. Not there…….”
The words that came out of his mouth were a plea, but it sounded strangely odd somewhere.
“…….”
Silence engulfed the surroundings.
“Keu-heum.”
Team Leader Kim cleared his throat once and turned his head.
“Move him first. To the hospital. Clean up other places right away too. Don't dawdle.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the members nodded all at once and started moving.
***
[Kkihihihit! Tasty! Tasty! Dessert is good too!]
I don't know how much time has passed.
Right after losing consciousness, I opened my eyes immediately.
The place where I regained consciousness was not the Mystery Hall or a hospital.
Just a plain with no end in sight.
The floor was stone slabs mixed with whitish fog, and the sky was empty as if it didn't exist.
The moment I lost consciousness, I had entered an unknown space.
[Entered ‘Core of the Soul’.]
Along with such a message.
‘Map change message.’
It was the system window that displayed on the screen whenever the area changed while playing the game.
A window seen only when going out to the field from the city or entering a dungeon.
When I entered this place, the map change message had popped up.
If this is the ‘Core of the Soul’ as the system says, is it something like an inner world.
Since it's my first time here, there's no way to know.
What's certain is that the Mimic bastard followed me persistently even here. And…….
“Ah, please! Stop it already!”
Since I entered here, no maybe even before that, this crazy bastard continued to lick my body.
[Tasty! Tasty! Tas! Ty!]
While still refusing communication with me and only saying what it wants to say.
I gave up on blocking the Mimic's tongue lashing and looked around.
‘Just what is this place?’
In this unfamiliar space seen for the first time, anxiety gradually bloomed.
Did I get trapped in something while unconscious? Or maybe affected by a spell Balzac used.
Above all, I didn't finish off Balzac's main body. I don't know what that guy might have done to me.
‘At least it doesn't seem like I’m dead.’
Just the fact that the system window is operating fine means I'm still alive.
Besides, right before fainting, I emptied two bottles of Fatigue Recovery Potion.
If Balzac harmed me, there would have been some abnormal sign in this state.
Eventually, there was only one thing left I could do.
‘Wait.’
Above all, that message floating since earlier caught my eye.
[……Digesting……]
The message saying digesting floating above the Mimic's head. What is it digesting?
Frankly, there isn't much information grasped about the Mimic yet.
That it's connected to the system I have, and further connected to me.
Among that, it shares the pain I feel and creates power from it.
‘Probably being able to use skills utilizing magic power too…… was thanks to that power the Mimic gives.’
Information graspable as of now is this much.
[Lick! Lick! Lick!]
Ah, the information ‘It is a crazy bastard.’ is also added.
“It's all good but not there. Don't lick the hair. Feeling it getting greasy is shitty…….”
Naturally, the Mimic didn't listen to a word I said. Damn bastard.
Anyway, there's nothing else to do but wait.
I stared blankly at the empty land, trying to ignore the sensation of the tongue licking my skin.
Looking again, it's a strange landscape.
The land is endless, and there is no sky. Instead, the outline of a city hanging upside down is laid out faintly overhead.
Sometimes the sound of something breaking was heard from far above, and glass shards rained down.
Sometimes things like syringe needles or fragmented knife pieces also fall.
At least while playing the game, I have no memory of visiting such a map.
A place likely to exist as a dummy file, seemingly made by developers as a joke.
‘Thinking of it as a dream, it’s not that strange though.’
Just that the sensation is too vivid and the system is operating normally to call it a dream is the problem.
Ttiring-
At that moment, a familiar system window popped up.
[Digestion is complete.]
At the same time, the Mimic stopped its movement.
[Ugeuk- ugeuk- ugeugeuk-]
The guy made rumination sounds while inflating and shrinking its body repeatedly.
“Don't tell me you again…….”
Weeeek-!
The Mimic vomited something.
Toward my face.
It spewed green sticky slime.
“Fuck…….”
Why suddenly again. No, it’s not even surprising anymore.
Why does this bastard test my stomach whenever I’m about to forget.
Something touched my hand while I was wiping off the slime with irritation.
It was a bead.
A clearly transparent bead, inside it was an eyeball.
An eye I feel like I've seen somewhere.
“Wait, this.”
The moment the thought ‘Isn’t this Balzac's?’ flashed.
[Named Villain ‘Balzac’ digestion complete.]
[Acquired Loot ‘Eye of Deception’.]
A message popped up as if responding to it.
“……Digestion?”
A chill ran down my spine for a moment. Digested Balzac?
I looked at the Mimic reflexively.
The guy was fluttering its pages and laughing boisterously.
[Tasty! Kkihihihit!]
Does digestion complete mean it really ate him?
‘……There is a possibility.’
Balzac's ability is mind penetration.
And this Mimic is a system bound to my mind.
Invisible to others, only I can perceive its existence.
Then the moment Balzac tried to invade my mind, there is a possibility he encountered the Mimic.
Maybe it devoured him right there.
Since Balzac's main body's strength is no different from a worm, just like his appearance.
“If that's the case…… is this real.”
I looked closely at the eyeball held in my hand.
Green pupil with an emerald tint.
Strangely mysterious, and at the same time, an ominous aura lingered.
‘Come to think of it, Balzac's eye. It should be itemized in the game too.’
Some Named Villains or monsters left body parts or artifacts.
Balzac's eye is also a reward obtainable if the main body is defeated.
Just when I was tracing my memory.
Ttiring-!
[Do you want to bind ‘Eye of Deception’ as loot? Y/N]
A familiar decision window popped up.
The content was simple.
Asking if I want to make Balzac's artifact mine.
“Is there no separate cost, or something?”
If it's a Named Villain's artifact, there's no reason not to take it.
Furthermore, it doesn't cost extra?
Then just go for it.
I selected YES without hesitation.
At the same time, a burning sensation like fire soared from my palm.
“Uuugh!”
I rolled on the floor for a long while from the ensuing pain.
Finally, it revealed itself.
A clear eyeball that surfaced in the center of my palm.
Ttiring-!
[Bound ‘Eye of Deception’.]
A message that binding was complete popped up.
The moment I read that phrase for the last time, my vision went black.